ExpertLaw.com Forums

Dealer Sold a Rental Car As Leased

Printable View

  • 12-13-2008, 12:03 PM
    mmmagique
    Dealer Sold a Rental Car As Leased
    My question involves a consumer law issue in the State of: KY

    Here in Kentucky, there is a law that states "It shall be unlawful for any motor vehicle dealer or motor vehicle salesperson to refuse to furnish, upon request of a prospective purchaser, the name, address, and telephone number, if known or available, of the previous consumer-owner of any used car offered for sale."

    A friend of mine recently purchased a car. (actually her mom purchased it for her, which makes it a bit stickier) Anyway, this car was sold as a "previously leased" vehicle.

    We recently found out it is a "previously rented" vehicle.

    When the dealer was asked for the name and address of the previous owner, he said they didn't have that information.

    My friend had been out of town when the car was purchased, and has recently taken possession of it. (her parents had the car at their home for approximately a week and a half.) It has burn holes everywhere, and there was broken glass in the back seat.

    The car is "certified" by their dealership, even though the steering column shakes when it is being driven, and it is obviously ill-maintained. My friend wanted to take it to the regular Honda dealership to make sure it is ok (at the expense of the first dealership) but they flatly refused. I suspect it is because no one else would certify it.

    The price they paid was $19,000 for a Honda Accord LE, which, is about the top price for that car if in perfect condition and NOT a rental.

    If she pays for an inspection at the regular Honda dealership, and they say that it is not in certifiable condition, can they take the dealership to court and prevail due to the fact that it never should have been certified, they did not follow the law with respect to providing the information requested, and the fact that they sold it as a "lease" vehicle, but it was actually a rental?

    Tia!
  • 12-14-2008, 09:32 PM
    Mr. Knowitall
    Re: Dealer Sold a Rental Car As Leased
    The fact that it was previously a rental vehicle does not mean that it was not also a leased vehicle. The rental company may well have leased its fleet.

    Why did your friend's parents accept delivery if the car is in obviously bad condition?

    They're not going to get the seller to pay for it to be inspected at another dealership, but if they feel they can prove fraud by the seller that's an important part of documenting the deficiencies in the vehicle below any standard of certification. The question remains, though, did they offer it as a "Honda Certified" used car, or as a "Dealer Certified" used car - if the latter, they may well be using their own standards for certification, not manufacturer standards.

    If the seller is a Honda dealer, they should consider contacting the corporation. The dealership may not take customer service seriously, but Honda does. Unfortunately, if this was a used car lot sale and there was no representation of Honda certification, they might not be able to do anything to directly help your friend.
  • 12-18-2008, 11:43 AM
    mmmagique
    Re: Dealer Sold a Rental Car As Leased
    Why did my friend's mother accept delivery?

    (she's a bit nutty):rolleyes:
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 12:54 PM.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.4
Copyright © 2023 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2004 - 2018 ExpertLaw.com, All Rights Reserved